Smelly boscia, Smelly shepherd's tree
Boscia foetida

Family: Capparaceae

What it is like

An untidy shrub. It can grow 5 m tall. It has many stems from the base. The stems are smooth and grey. The branches are thickly set with small hard leaves. The leaves grow in tufts on short knobs. The leaves are about 8 mm long. They are oval and taper to the base. The twigs and branches can have spines at their tips. The flowers are small and green, They have a horrid smell. The fruit are round and hairy and the size of a cherry. They are light brown when ripe. There are 1-3 seeds inside. They have a sweet oily pulp. They are edible. There are some subspecies.

There are 37 Boscia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in arid areas and on sand dunes. It grows in areas with a rainfall of about 50 mm. It grows between 50-1,400 m above sea level. It can grow in desert places. It is drought tolerant. It can grow in arid places. It is often on termite mounds.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. The root is occasionally used as a chicory substitute for coffee like drinks. They are roasted for this. The roots are pounded and also used in porridge.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Root, fruit, flowers

How it is grown

Trees can be grown from seed. They can also be grown by layering branches. This occurs naturally in areas with higher rainfall. Plants can be cut back and will re-grow.

Its other names

Local names

Ingcotho, Noeniebos, Stinkbos, Umpheme, Umphisi lomncane, Xaube hunis

Synonyms

Boscia filipes Gilg.; Boscia kalachariensis Pestal; Boscia longipedicellata Gilg.; Boscia rehmanniana Pestal; Capparis alnitrunca var. parvifolia T.R.Sim;